The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-05
FAKIRS' WILES.
An Expert SwihdIer Tells How tho GullibIo
Public Is Taken In.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago tribune
you're asking me about fakirs, amt you
I've been a fakir for twenty years. Things Ia
changin' in fakin as they are in everything
else Tho competition Is fierce nowadays, !
Of OFT tie Wheel or the she'll or tho cards you've got
to be as smart as bank President. The
wheel Is a circle marked out on a table covered
into parts 50 it can be folded up easily The Ih.e
White and blue. In the middle Of the circle Is
swing. FaEirs follow fairs and circuses and
try ns'' people. Veil, nov 1 set up my table
Ses the ssy lar Say
sum they like against any, Of my, three
a1s anS on eash sn ose
reds. but can pay it out Of the other twelve
winnings and DO square: But By I the game is
my table there is a little groove running from
the edge close to the pivot of the, spear. In
the the edge is strong iron rod called the punch
their ever suspectine It. for the whole arrange
often all the eolors are covered. There will DO
and fGn bet as mqen as 9oH
partner. He leans over the table VERY care
less like. and gets his finger over the spring in
when the majority OF the money is laid on one
color he. by gently pressing the spring. stops
the We Gs cro%a Gns on o
him in his bets, why, he let's himself loose, and
we rake in the big pile again"
1T would II he stayed long enough. But
after he is there awhile he leaves and another
the % Is thr sHd or or
All the men run various games OF their own.
and after the shoW divide ai1dh the RT9"
Sometimes We do, and sometimes we QOQ't
Very often there Is disputin' and fights, but
eyehng wyo ena "a IN
coors on the wheel we sometimes have lg-
ure, an eagle, or Gen; Jackson IN The betting Is
figure AS there Is only one chance out OF a
lot. the fakir gives big odds, sometimes s2Q to
one gu the hS aysr on s is
ways around in games like that"
.".0f course You make lots Of moneSy I"
yes; sometimes as much as 5000 day.
But easy come easy go. Inever knew fakir
who eyer put much by. All we want is an easy
dl i Ef IN seSs e9hEss bee RsR
Tie Tie Rshes 6ddeT had y
a hs eHssy
She runs a square gene, too. w, We work the
SSF SoM n ~, sSm shs s shs sGa'h in winter
generally sR WITH three hal sheiis Of Ens wal
press rollers. throw out the shells on n table.
Place one OF them over the ball and move them
all about. Where Is the ball Bet anybody he
can't find 1t. Well. some fellow is sure he has
followed me in my moyemonts; He has seen
good es Zee care t6at be noticed it. That was the
bait. He bets me $40, $40. that he can pick out
the shell over the ball. bet. He picks up tho
shell that he had kept his ego on. Well; the
ball Is not there. 1t is under another shell.
win Now. that's as easy as preachin. AS
move the shell about manage to press finger
against the ball. which sticks to the finger and
quietly place 1t under another shell; Sc, you
see Mr. Smarty was sold again. The shells
bring In money fast. The bets are big. We
have to put up liberally, though, to people in
charge Of fairs and other such gatherings to be
allowed to run. Then special officers have got
Don't the people who are-are-"
Don't they ever grumble7"
"They do. So it's the business OF faker
then to be cool and quick. I've stood unarmed
In crowd OF 100 or 300 men. all ready TO kill
me, and Just laughed away their threats. But
il we are cornered We must fight our way
through, and we do it. But our aim Is to 1.-Two
tracting any attention. The shells bring in
sometimes 5000 in q day We don't keep, the
money about us. AS fast AS we win We let
partner pretend to win it from us, so that II We
should be locked up and any victim want his
money back nothing Is found on u.s. Some
times tho confederate is woman"